reconnoiter

verb
re·​con·​noi·​ter | \ ˌrē-kə-ˈnȯi-tər How to pronounce reconnoiter (audio) , ˌre-kə-\
variants: or reconnoitre
reconnoitered or reconnoitred; reconnoitering or reconnoitring\ ˌrē-​kə-​ˈnȯi-​tə-​riŋ How to pronounce reconnoitring (audio) , -​ˈnȯi-​triŋ \

Definition of reconnoiter

intransitive verb

: to engage in reconnaissance

Examples of reconnoiter in a Sentence

An expedition reconnoitered the coast to find out the exact location of enemy forces. They were sent ahead to reconnoiter.

Recent Examples on the Web

Apollo 10 had reconnoitered the landing area, and Armstrong had spent hours studying those photographs, committing landmarks to memory. Stephen Witt, WIRED, "Apollo 11: Mission Out of Control," 24 June 2019 Check their websites, social media, or Etsy/Ebay stores to reconnoiter the goods. Jennifer Rude Klett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "There's more than just shiplap to salvage around the Midwest. Here's where to find some treasures," 1 June 2018 News articles revealed the potential for terrorists to use Strava's Global Heatmap to digitally reconnoiter potential ambush routes of U.S. service members who download their recreational and exercise routes. Author: Rick Sinnott | Opinion, Anchorage Daily News, "Bears, bikes and avoiding unnecessary togetherness on Anchorage trails," 31 Mar. 2018 But a former senior intelligence official told NBC News that these types of penetrations can be just as serious, either as gateways to other networks or as reconnoitering for future attacks. Cynthia Mcfadden, NBC News, "U.S. intel: Russia ‘compromised’ seven states prior to 2016 election," 27 Feb. 2018 Planet, a company in San Francisco that owns swarms of tiny satellites, reconnoitered the secretive nuclear test site. William J. Broad, New York Times, "Satellite Images of North Korea Show Landslides at Nuclear Test Site," 5 Sep. 2017 During police interrogations, Bakiev admitted to reconnoitering the air base for his strike, the police statement said. Washington Post, "Turkey: Russian national detained over planned drone attack," 10 Aug. 2017 A scout goes out to reconnoiter a termite nest, then returns to lead a battalion of 200 to 500 ants to the buffet. Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times, "Valiant in Battle, These Ants Rescue Their Wounded," 12 Apr. 2017 In particular, Sandwell says oil companies are using the data to reconnoiter new deep sea wells. Nick Stockton, WIRED, "Super-Detailed Interactive 3-D Seafloor Map," 9 Oct. 2014

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reconnoiter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of reconnoiter

1705, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

History and Etymology for reconnoiter

obsolete French reconnoître, literally, to recognize, from Old French reconoistre — more at recognize

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More Definitions for reconnoiter

reconnoiter

verb

English Language Learners Definition of reconnoiter

: to go to (a place or area) in order to find out information about a military enemy : to do a reconnaissance of (a place)

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